By 
“The question before us is not whether we will adopt, it is whether we will step up and lead this transformation or just wait aside by it. It therefore requires us to face the challenge of a re-imaged university.”
The University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein has officially installed the internationally acclaimed Professor Hester Klopper as its 15th Vice-Chancellor and Principal on Monday, 9 June 2025.
The UFS Chancellor Prof. Bonang Mohale expressed confidence in Klopper during her installation ceremony, which was honoured by the attendance of the Chieftaincy in the province, academics and political heads including the Free State Premier Ms MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae.
The university said they believe in the leadership of Klopper, whose vision will take the university to international heights, reposition the institution into an international intellectual hub that will attract some of the greatest minds in Africa and from abroad.
During her acceptance speech, Prof. Klopper shared her vision with the audience; she said the journey of the University of the Free State must be that of walking with purpose towards a future where there is an institution that will stand as a beacon of hope for the Free State, but also the rest of the country and all of Africa.
Her ambitions for the university are that of attaining world class excellence with its African identity and as part of the university’s responsibility, contribute towards continental development.
Prof. Hester Klopper pointed out that universities are currently faced with a unique challenge, that of Artificial Intelligence (AI). She said these are extra ordinary moments in human history, a moment that demands universities to confront uncomfortable truths.
“Artificial Intelligence capabilities are advancing exponentially, doubling power every few months, however, our educational systems remain fundamentally unchanged from the industrial era origins. Just consider for one moment that over the last two months, a million users started using Chat GPT, so what do we see? Large language models that now pass medical board exams; they write sophisticated quotes and generate research papers.
Quantum computing promises to solve problems in minutes that we have seen classical computers will take millennia to do, yet; our lecture halls and our assessment methods; our very conception of what it means to be educated, these remain rooted in the ninetieth century,” said Prof Klopper.
The Professor said universities are preparing students for a world that changes rapidly using methods of a world that no longer exists; she said this is not just a mere academic observation, she challenged the education sector to spring to action in order to be relevant to the current world unfolding.
“The question before us is not whether we will adopt, it is whether we will step up and lead this transformation or just wait aside by it. It therefore requires us to face the challenge of a re-imaged university,” said Prof. Hester Klopper.
Prof. Klopper said the university needs to be bold and assert its own identity in the midst of the challenge, and solve its own challenges towards a new world, she said there is no blue print for the road ahead, but the University of the Free State has to step up and come up with solutions for modern day challenges.
